A maintenance worker at Denn-John Middle School in Kissimmee was arrested after police said he was caught on camera stealing from the school, according to a ClickOrlando.com report. According to the report, Joel Thomas, 37, was spotted stealing a flash drive and his wife, who is the designated "vandal watch" for the school, was fired. Read the full report at ClickOrlando.com

Denn John Middle School will host an orientation session for parents of incoming sixth-graders at 7 p.m. Monday in the multipurpose room. All parents are encouraged to come and ask questions. For more information, contact Cecille Diez at 348-2152.OSCEOLA HIGHOHS's campus will be used for basketball camp from June 6 to 10. A session for middle-schoolers will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. A second session will be held for high school girls from 1 to 6 p.m. There is a $25 fee for both camps. For more information, call 933-8570.

OSCEOLA COUNTY - St. Cloud and Denn John middle schools and Gateway High had winners in this month's 2008 Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference. Richard Belleville of St. Cloud Middle took national first place in a speech competition, and fellow student Elizabeth Saunders placed fourth in the business math event. The team representing Denn John Middle took second place in the Web design contest. Jessica Etter, a senior at Gateway High, was a finalist in the advanced word processing competition.

Superintendent Max Waters made the last remaining appointment to a school principalship Tuesday when he announced that Osceola High School assistant principal Tommy Tate will be the next principal of Denn John Middle School.Tate, an 18-year veteran of Osceola County schools, has taught science and biology and worked as Denn John assistant principal several years ago. He is 46, and is expected to be paid $42,354 for the post.Gateway High School Principal Dorothy Davis also has picked John Drewes to fill a post as assistant principal there.

KISSIMMEE -- Students at Denn John Middle School have had their writings about the terrorist attacks a year ago today published in an anthology that commemorates the tragedy. 911: The Day America Cried, a collection of poems, letters and stories commenting on the terrorist attacks, was published by Obadiah Press in Merrill, Wis. The students are in classes taught by Barbara J. Robinson, a sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade language arts teacher at Denn John Middle. Robinson also had a story, "911: A Cry for Tolerance," published in the book.

Some Denn John Middle School parents are up in arms after reading a letter telling them asbestos may be present at the school. They say they are concerned for their children's safety and they want answers.School officials, however, say they will not know for sure if asbestos is present in the cafeteria floor tiles until they get test results. They expect those results sometime this month.The confusion comes on the heels of a September asbestos inspection of the district's 18 schools. Standard-issue letters were given to Denn John students last week to take home to their parents, notifying them of the preliminary findings.

KISSIMMEE -- The world just got a little smaller for Akilah Chandler. Before the school year ends next month, Akilah, a student at Denn John Middle School, will be one of about 300 sixth-graders delving into the geographical and cultural development of Asia through the study of "biomes," which are regions of the continent classified by specific types of ecosystems. She and her classmates will explore the social, political, economic and ecologic specifics of a country on the Asian continent -- from Iraq to India to Japan -- through a $5,000 National Education Foundation Innovation Grant.

Already this school year, students at Denn John Middle School have been suspended 2,439 times - more than twice as many suspensions as there are students.The numbers reflect perhaps two dozen chronic troublemakers being suspended more than once, both in and out of school, said Denn John Principal Tommy Tate.But the numbers still bother Jim DiGiacomo, who takes over as Denn John principal July 1 when Tate moves to the principal's job at Mill Creek Elementary.DiGiacomo, 40, supported by parents and teachers, plans several changes to improve behavior and the learning environment.

When Jim DiGiacomo became principal at Denn John Middle last summer, the school of 1,118 students had just finished a year of suspending youngsters more than 900 times.One year into the job, DiGiacomo has pared the number of suspensions to about 325 even as the student population has risen to 1,178.His method is deceptively simple: Use alternative methods of discipline that emphasize consequences - not punishment - for bad behavior, coupled with rewards for good behavior.''Punishment doesn't change behaviors,'' explained Greg Sanamo, Denn John's dean for exceptional education students.

The Silver Spurs Riding Club set a record for attendance during the 120th Silver Spurs Rodeo of Champions last weekend. More than 15,000 spectators, competitors and volunteers filled the Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Heritage Park for the three-day twice-yearly event. Friday night's performance was dedicated to Tough Enough to Wear Pink, a program designed for local rodeo organizations to give to the fight against cancer. A donation of almost $3,000 was presented to the Osceola Cancer Center on behalf of the Silver Spurs Riding Club.

KISSIMMEE -- The world just got a little smaller for Akilah Chandler. Before the school year ends next month, Akilah, a student at Denn John Middle School, will be one of about 300 sixth-graders delving into the geographical and cultural development of Asia through the study of "biomes," which are regions of the continent classified by specific types of ecosystems. She and her classmates will explore the social, political, economic and ecologic specifics of a country on the Asian continent -- from Iraq to India to Japan -- through a $5,000 National Education Foundation Innovation Grant.

POINCIANA --An Osceola County middle-school teacher was killed during her morning commute Thursday when she drove into the path of a school bus in Poinciana, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. Amira Nicole Grant, who recently moved to Poinciana to allow her children to experience life outside New York City, died in the accident at Palmetto Street and Falcon Road about 8 a.m. near the Osceola County line, sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilder said. Her son, Christopher Hanford, 7, who attends Chestnut Elementary, was riding in the back seat of his mother's car and suffered a broken arm. Grant, 30, began teaching at Denn John Middle School in Kissimmee in January.

Scores of Harmony High School students have been recognized by the President's Education Awards Program. Seniors Stephanie Brue, Ashleigh Darnell, Kimber Davis, Alycia Marion, Sara Nichols and Julie Pearce qualified for the academic excellence award by earning a 3.5 to 4.0 unweighted cumulative grade point average last year as well as achieving the 85th percentile or above in reading or math sections of the ACT or SAT. Also, more than 70 students in...

The Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department offers three sports camps and gardening classes from Monday to July 29. A smart start sports development camp basketball week for children ages 3 to 5 will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Denn John Middle School Gym, 2001 Denn John Lane, Kissimmee. Cost is $45. A gardening camp for ages 8 to 13 will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Lakeside Park, 2253 Lakeside Drive, Kissimmee. Cost is $70. A kickers-only youth soccer game for children ages 6 and older will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Lakeside Park, 2253 Lakeside Drive, Kissimmee.

The Osceola School District's next Town Hall Meeting is from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Denn John Middle School, 2001 Denn John Lane, Kissimmee. The session allows parents to speak directly to School Board members, become aware of key issues and learn about happenings in the school system. Free child care for school-age children and refreshments will be provided, as well as Spanish translations. INDULGING IN THE ARTS The 11th annual Arts Alive scholarship fund-raiser is at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

When Denn John Middle School teachers Laurie Dunwoody, Karen Michael and Teresa Stevens set out to start a Wall of Human Rights and Remembrance, they were hoping to give their students an understanding of human-rights struggles throughout history. Three years later, the wall has done that, plus a little something extra. Last week, Walt Disney Co. awarded the trio the Disney Teacheriffic Award, an $18,000 prize that recognizes innovative and creative classroom programs. The teachers each won $5,000, with the remaining $3,000 going to the school.

Denn John Middle School teachers Issac Berger, Roseanne Foster, Kat Gordon, Kim Miller and Alice Weismore will address the fourth annual Florida School-To-Work Conference April 15 to 17 at the Orange County Convention Center. They will highlight projects that involve students in their communities.Denn John Middle students Erin Englemeier, Alycia Knutson and Erica Wale are among those selected to perform in the All-County chorus on April 16 and 17 at Gateway High School.

When Denn John Middle School teachers Laurie Dunwoody, Karen Michael and Teresa Stevens set out to start a Wall of Human Rights and Remembrance, they were hoping to give their students an understanding of human-rights struggles throughout history. Three years later, the wall has done that, plus a little something extra. Last week, Walt Disney Co. awarded the trio the Disney Teacheriffic Award, an $18,000 prize that recognizes innovative and creative classroom programs. The teachers each won $5,000, with the remaining $3,000 going to the school.